The present invention relates to the field of ice-skating measuring apparatuses. More precisely, the present invention brings a new possibility to detect, store, and transmit data related to kinetics and force that act on an ice-skate during skating. In addition to contact forces, the apparatus is designed to measure other parameters of movement, such as acceleration, velocity, or orientation.
As scientific and health (medical) data have played a significant role in the performance evaluation of professional sportsmen, a considerable effort to incorporate various sensors right into the sports equipment has begun to rise. In general, such sensors are used for measuring forces acting on both the sportsmen and the equipment as well as other parameters which are very helpful in optimizing sportsmen's performance and training methods.
A great deal of attention is devoted to the footwear of sportsmen. The reason is that the interactions between the piece of footwear and the playing or training surface represent the overall forces which act on sportsmen in many cases. The detailed analysis of interactions between boots and the ground is quite important for further optimization of sportsmen's performance, since it gives valuable information about the sportsmen's technique, loading, and habits.
There is a noticeable trend to implement various sensors into the sole of running or athlete shoes. Among other functions, sensors are able to measure the pressure (force) acting on the feet or the strain inside the shoe sole. An example of such an invention is described in the document CN105725355 where the pressure sensors inside the shoes are disclosed. The document describes a front sole pressure sensor and a rear heel pressure sensor. Both sensors are connected to the central unit where the overall pressure is evaluated. The described invention is used as an early knee joint damage warning system.
Another example of said group of inventions is disclosed in a patent application CN103355831. Said document discloses running shoes equipped with acceleration sensors. The sportsmen thus have the immediate information about their running performance. The acceleration sensors are placed into the shoe sole.
Yet another example of sensors being used as a source of information about forces acting on shoes is the utility model CN203969383. The sensor apparatus is attached to the shoe sole. The main function of the said sensor apparatus is to provide information about the horizontal strain acting on the shoes. However, it is also used to collect the information about vertical force to calculate landing and flight time.
Besides running or athlete shoes, there are also known inventions related to the utilization of sensors in ice-skates. Such sensors are used in many variations, but the general idea is to provide the same information as the sensors used in the running or athlete shoes.
An example of such sensor apparatus is disclosed in the patent application US20110166821. A sensor configured to measure acceleration and deceleration of an ice-skate during skating is attached to the side of ice-skate boot. The information coming from the sensor is transmitted to a control unit attached to the sportsman's leg. The obvious disadvantage of this invention is the necessity of placing both the sensor and the control unit on a side of the boot, respectively leg. Another disadvantage of such apparatus is a limited range of information coming from the sensor.
Another example of an ice-skate sensor is disclosed in the document US20160038788. The said document describes a measuring apparatus comprising sensors and control units. The mentioned sensors are placed between an ice-skate boot and an ice-skate blade holder, while the control units are placed just below the sensor inside column beams of the ice-skate blade holder. The evident disadvantage is the placing of the sensors between the boot and the blade holder. The ice-skater thus has to replace either the boot or the blade holder in case he wants to change the type of sensor or the ice-skate boot.
Yet another example of such apparatus, which is configured to monitor the ice-skater moving, is disclosed in the patent application WO2009146525. The patent application discloses an apparatus for measuring various types of movement characteristics. The apparatus consists of two parts: a control unit and sensors. The sensors may be attached to the body of the ice-skater as well as on his equipment, such as helmet or stick. Said sensors are configured to measure information about acceleration, skating time, etc. The control unit is placed between column beams of a skate blade holder. The control unit is configured to collect the information transmitted from the sensors. The obvious disadvantage of the described apparatus is the arrangement of the control unit between the column beams of the ice-skate blade holder, increasing the chance of damage. The described apparatus is intended for use in ice-hockey, where there is high probability of hitting the control unit by a hockey puck. The said document also fails in providing the means for measuring the forces acting on ice-skate boots.